The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-08-06
|TURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1887.

might have known her always, yet not in
the least Extensively.
Her partner threw supercilious glance
over the assured speaker and with cough
turned to demand further dance by a
gesture. But Cornelia had been attracted
BY Marston's voice and had caught her
partners expression of proprietorship.
Without a moments further hesitation she
accepted Marston's arm. As she moved
off she tossed the fan and small bouquet
she carried to her former dancer, telling
him to carry them to her mother.
The expression on the face of the child
of wealth at being dismissed so abruptly
repaid Cornelia amply for any suffering
she may have had from Marstons dancing.
They did not get far before they stopped
and finished the circuit of the room in q
walk
"You certainly dance very badly said
Cornelia
at is vulgar to dance too well, answer
ed Marston, on the alert for war and
grasping about for any weapon that came
to hand.
"Yet | dance very well-how do you
account for that2'
81 should call it eccentricity in lady.
."What a very mixed set of people here
tonight" said Cornelia, irritated that he
should slip out of the dilemma. "One
hardly knows to whom one may be intro
duced. Pleasant in recent introduction
to discover your grocer, for instance"
Marston smiled wry smile. II myself,
Miss van Ruyven, am in the grocery line,
said he
They were standing near me, and Cor
nelia had taken her hand from his arm.
She beckoned to me.
$50 l feared" said she calmly, "from
your dancing" And with that Parthian
Shaft walked off while Marston bowed
ironically.
"How nice of you to present that charm
ing fellow to mel" said she as we approach
ed her mother and l was expecting some
outburst of anger. "Bring him to see me,
will you-or no? You don't visit me any
more, do you? Send me his address; that
will be better. love grocers. They ap-
pear to have originality. And you know
that is trait quite impossible to find in
our SCI"
''I wish you had less, said gloomily.
Cornelia gave ringing laugh and dropped
me deep courtesy, which called the atten-
ton of the room.
"Don Desperando has given me the best
compliment of the season, she cried aloud
to her mother in tone which ignored the
presence of any one else in the room.
Much as l loved her 1 could not be blind
to such bad manners, but there was nothing
to be done.
"Who was the young man you were
dancing With" said Mrs. van Ruyvcn
sharply after acknowledging my presence
by slight movement of the eyelids.
"The most charming man imaginable, "
said Cornelia. "0ur friend here always
does know such nice odd people, | am
going to ask him to dinner.
Mrs van Ruyven looked anxiously across
the room. II am sure he is an adventurer,
Cornelia," said she. "Who are the Mars
tons? He looks poor, Probably he has
heard that you are an heiress,
"Oh yes" said 1, II told him that Miss
van Ruyven was great catch-that is the
word, is it not?"
"0f course-an adventurer, | tell you =
"Oh no, mamma, he's only a grocer.
Grocers are never adventures. Nothing
could be more respectable" Cornelia was
only too happy to horrify her mother.
made my excuses and rejoined my friend,
for the five or six men who pursued Miss
van Ruyven at every entertainment had
discovered her and were closing around the
prize. {.
care you ready to hear my little story?"
I asked demurely, when We had taken up
our station by the doorway again.
81 am sorry to have interrupted il" said
he, trying to laugh off his discontinue;
but his eyes followed Cornelia with mixed
expression of admiration and anger.
0You have seen," said 1, chow disagree
able she can make herself. Well, she can
be as charming as she was disagreeable,
even more charming if the mood is on her.
1 doubt if there be another woman in the
city who has such originality in being de-
lightful, if she wants to exercise her talent.
That must be my excuse for suffering
what I have at her hands. You know
that she is great heiress in her own right;
you probably know that l have little MEANS
Well, you may imagine what l suffered
from that mother of brass of hers, from re-
latives and friends-their insinuations, in
sultsl But could have borne that; it was
when imagined some distant hint Of the
kind from her that l wanted the earth to
swallow me up, that the day became black
before my eyes, that an insane desire to
kill some one arose. But was helpless.
l poor; she rich; what difference was there
between me and any other of the dozen
who crept around the money box on their
knees?
"Well, will do her the justice to say
that she did find difference, generally
speaking. One day I csme in to see her,
and the servant, supposing her up stairs,
showed me into dicwing room to wait.
In moment was | aware that some one
was moving in the next room, and passing
over the deep carpets to the open doors l
found Cornelia She was walking up and
down talking to herself excitedly.
"My God, my God," she cried raising
her arms tragieally, ARE there no men in
this city? Where can l find MANI"
"'Here, Cornelia 1 cried, springing
forward where she could see me. what
you want done, | will do
s'She stood still, looking hard at me, her
bosom rising and falling excitedly, her eyes
flashing.
"If you were man you would have a
couple of horses or a coach or a yacht
something ready to take me out of this.
1 hate it. lothe this city. Idespise the
people. cannot bear these carpets, these
insane pictrues. want to live in log
hut on prairie. Take me away. Marry
me if you think it worth while, and take
me awayr
II held her moment in my arms, una
BILE to believe my ears, or the possibility
that her words contained. Then | said !: